


Eldest

by StarPrincessTally



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Age, Awkward Flirting, Banter, Brandt POV, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Revelations, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6052542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarPrincessTally/pseuds/StarPrincessTally
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brandt is going through his new team's files after the events of Ghost Protocol and finds something in Benji's that is beyond shocking - it will change his life forever. All while Brandt is certainly not dealing with his own personal feelings. </p><p>Cute, stupid, kind-of short fluff from Brandt's POV</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eldest

William finding out Benji was older than him was shock. 

Like a huge, world-changing one. The geek may have been his senior by only a little less than a year - but still. His youthful face and demeanor just made him seem so much younger. Like by years - at least. He was sure everyone thought Benji was younger, because duh. To say he had been gob-struck when he checked the files after Mumbi would have been a disgusting understatement.  
  
It hadn’t been like he hadn’t seen Benji’s file before. He was Chief Analyst, he had seen every agent's file, it was his job. It was just, usually, the age wasn’t a huge factor in anything relevant, so he tended to skip it. But a budding - no not crush, but something - had gotten him curious how much older he was than the techie.  
  
(And he totally justified looking because now he was going about systematically memorizing everything in his new team’s files. Benji was just first....because.)

  


“How is Benji older than me?” he wondered, muttering aloud. It seemed unbelievable. 

“Because I age with the grace and charm of a comic book character.” Benji said, coming up from behind the analyst with mischievous grin.

Startled, Brandt gasped, “Benji, where did you come from?”

Benji tsks. “You are out of practice, Agent Brandt - didn’t even know I was there.”

“I knew you were there!” Brandt responded indignantly, “I just didn’t know you were...you,” he added kind of lamely. In his defense it wasn’t exactly quiet in the office at the moment, people and machines rushing around in something akin to organized chaos.  
  
Benji looked hurt, Brandt couldn’t tell if real or in mockery - maybe both? - but only for a split second, before grinning like a cheshire cat again.

“Wait a second,” Brandt said with a realization, “you’re suppose to be helping rebuild our technical systems. What are you doing up here?” The suspicion is evident in the analyst's voice. 

“I may have hacked into the system to have it alert me whenever someone accesses my file,” he said with sly smile.

“Ummm.....” Brandt said, “I’m getting this isn’t the only modification you’ve made to the IMF system.”

“What!?” Benji replied with mock innocence, “I have only made slight changes that help the agency, or me - and so as a result the agency - but mostly just the agency. I swear.”

Brandt narrowed his eyes. 

“Besides, I saved the world, helped reinstate the IMF, I’m allowed some leeway.”

“That is not how that works.”  
  
That earned the analyst another cheeky grin, this one bigger and brighter than any today. Brandt certainly wasn’t finding that this was melting his heart into a pile goo. 

“So what did you need to look at my file for - that couldn’t just ask me personally?”

“I’m memorizing all of your files,” Brandt responded dryly. Not remotely thankful for the pre-planned excuse.

“So....no missed birthdays right?” Benji teased with a signature wink. Brandt resisted the urge to swallow. He opted instead at looking back down at the file.

Benji grinned, “Confirming I really am older than ye?”  
Brandt looked up, his lips pursed and eyes shifting in a way that screamed yes but-I’m-pretending-to-be-hiding-my-reaction-when-I’m-not-really-at-all. His no, not crush but something most assuredly not growing because of Benji's decidedly weird linguistics. 

“I am never escaping this, am I?”

Benji cackled deliciously. “No. Not a chance,” he told his friend with an evil grin.  
After a pause, while the tech gloated, he added, “But you’re right, I should be saving the IMF from total technical malfunction. Let me know what other interesting gems you find in there.”

“Will do,” Brandt responded neutrally.

Benji took this as another victory and laughed again. This time with more jovial mirth and good-spirit. Brandt felt his stomach do happy somersaults in time with the filtering of his heart. He only smiled a small withering smile at his teammate, though.

“Tchus!” Benji told him, turning away. 

“Bye,” Brandt responded, his eyes slightly rolling of their own accord as Benji started chanting in a sign-songy voice.  
“I’m older than Brandt, I’m older than Brandt.” Brandt could hear the mile-wide smile as the tech made his way down the hall, twirling something in time time to his song.

William Brandt certainly did not find himself enjoying the show. Stupid no, not crush, but something.

**Author's Note:**

> So this appeared after reading a bunch of Benji/Brandt fics and people kept describing Benji as "the younger". I got curious wondering how much younger Benji was than William. Of course, there weren't official ages posted for the characters so I went with actors. And Simon Pegg is older than Jeremy Renner (by about 9 months)!! I kind of freaked and thought it would be hilarious to turn into a fic. So I hope you enjoyed, and were as amazed as Brandt and I were at this revelation. ;P


End file.
